Tai Chi Walking: Slow Down to Stay Str
We spend a lot of time being told to walk faster, exercise harder and get our heart rate up.
But what if occasionally, the answer was to slow right down?
I’ve recently been looking at Tai Chi walking – a wonderfully simple practice that takes something we do every day and turns it into an exercise for balance, strength, coordination and concentration.
And when I say slow, I mean slow. Believe me, its quite the challenge.
What is Tai Chi walking?
Tai Chi walking is based on the same principles as Tai Chi: controlled movement, relaxed breathing, good posture and awareness of where your body is in space.
Instead of simply putting one foot in front of the other, you become very conscious of transferring your weight.
You shift your weight completely into one leg until the other foot becomes light. Then you lift that foot, place the heel gently in front of you and slowly transfer your weight forward.
Lift. Place. Shift.
Then you do it all again.
It sounds easy, well it is, but try doing it really slowly!!
Suddenly your legs are working, your core wakes up and your balance becomes something you have to pay attention to.
Why I like it
As we get older, I think there can be far too much emphasis on what we ‘cant do anymore’, I’d much rather focus on what we CAN keep Doing.
We can keep challenging our balance. We can keep strengthening our legs. We can keep moving in different ways. And perhaps most importantly, we can keep trusting our bodies.
Tai Chi walking gives us a gentle way to practise all of that.
There’s another benefit too.
You simply can’t rush it.
For a few minutes, you’re not thinking about where you need to be next. You’re concentrating on the foot that’s touching the ground, the leg that’s supporting you and the breath moving through your body.
It becomes a kind of walking meditation. 7mins a day would be a good goal to work toward. You WILL notice the differences.
Try it for five minutes
Stand comfortably with your feet about hip-width apart and soften your knees.
Take a few breaths.
Slowly shift your weight onto your right leg until your left foot feels light. Then shift across to the other side.
Do this a few times without going anywhere.
When you’re ready, shift your weight onto one leg and slowly lift the opposite foot.
Place your heel gently in front of you.
Then, and this is the important bit, don’t rush to step onto it.
Gradually transfer your weight forward until the front leg becomes your supporting leg and the back foot becomes light.
Then take your next step.
Keep going slowly.
Lift. Place. Shift.
Your arms can hang naturally or move gently with you.
Five minutes is plenty to begin with. If balance is a concern, practise by a sturdy chair so you have support within easy reach.
Staying youthful isn’t about staying young
For me, staying youthful is all about about continuing to move, explore, learn and challenge ourselves.
Sometimes that might mean hiking up a mountain.
And sometimes it might mean walking on the beach or across the grass, incredibly slow and discovering that something so simple can be surprisingly challenging.
Thats the thing, just mixing up movement wherever you happen to be.
So perhaps today, instead of rushing from A to B, take five minutes and go nowhere fast 😉
Your legs, your balance , and possibly your busy mind , will thank you for it.
